Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:hpcdriver wrote:Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:RoSPA is strange - I have to pay a sub to my local group but I'm not a member of the overall organisation - is that similar for anyone else?
How come? The standard system for national membership is that your £17.50per year sub includes the cost of the triennial retests. I should not have thought you could be a current member or take your retests without being paying a national sub.
I don't know. I enquired of my local secretary about joining and taking a test, and the result was an application form and a request for £12. Perhaps they assumed I'd already paid another £17.50. I'll ask ... This is getting expensive
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Mr C, your situation is exactly the same as everyone else who comes to their RoSPA test through contact with local groups.
RoADAR National membership
Other than the new (£10) "Associate membership" (which is a NON TEST membership with reduced benefits such as they may be LOL)
you Cannot have FULL RoADAR National membership prior to sitting and passing your test at Bronze Level or above.
The Test Fee (Now £48 paid when applying) for your initial RoSPA test includes an amount equivalent to your first years subscriptions, and membership would commence from the date of passing your test. Continued payment of Subsiquent years National Subs (Now £20) entitles you to FREE triennial retests,which must be taken, in order to retain your National Membership.
It is possible to apply for and sit a test independantly of the local groups, but as you would be missing out on the free tutoring, mutual help advice and and assistance, never mind the social side provided by local group membership in following your interests, it is not normally encouraged, or seen as being of benefit.
The £12 subs you have mentioned seems to be your local group membership anual subscription I would imagine, (just like joining a local sports club etc), and is normally paid to cover local costs and expenses etc. For insurance purposes most groups are unable or indeed unwilling to provide group Tutors for people who are not local group members, unsurprisingly.
Just imagine the costs if you were to book and pay for individual, private, one to one professional advanced driving training.
The two anual subscriptions are completely seperate.
As for being Expensive, at £60 (total of £48+£12) I wouldnt really think so.
The costs are broadly similar to purchasing an IAM "Skills For Life" package, once the costs of obtaining your own copies of Roadcraft HC etc, which you may require, are included, although some groups mayl include them in their local arrangements with new members,for higher local membership fees.